The Use of Realism, Dreams and Postmodern Themes in The Death of A Salesman

Summary: A postmodernist critique of Arthur Miller's play, the Death of a Salesman. Also describes how Miller utilizes realism and dreams to further cement his place as part of the postmodernism movement in American literature.

Death of a Salesman

Throughout the ages the concepts of dreams have been explored. Dreams have not necessarily contained the same substances but gradually changed according to the environment, beliefs, and social understandings. When America first originated, the dream of religion was brought from Europe. Puritans were the first landowning Americans to come and live in North America (Indians were the original owners). Puritans came to America to escape religious persecution; they dreamed to have religious, economic, and social freedoms. During the colonial era people were known to be pure and no evil was ever seen, heard, or said about. It was a community of peaceful ways and religious aspects. Puritans began accomplishing these dreams but the same mistakes (killing innocent people) were being committed, this occurrence was due to superstition (Benet, 1937). Since superstition became such...